


A Tale of Few Genders.

by psyleedee



Series: Psyleedee's Tumblr Ficlets. [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Bisexual Dean Winchester, Castiel & Sam Winchester Friendship, Coming Out, Cute Castiel/Dean Winchester, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Domestic Fluff, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Gender Confusion, Gender Dysphoria, M/M, Non-Binary Castiel (Supernatural), Romantic Fluff, Sam Winchester Ships Castiel/Dean Winchester, Supportive Dean Winchester, Supportive Sam Winchester, Supportive Sibling Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24784246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psyleedee/pseuds/psyleedee
Summary: Castiel has been thinking about his identity for the past few weeks. With Sam's guidance, he finally makes a decision. Will it affect his new relationship with Dean?
Relationships: Castiel & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Psyleedee's Tumblr Ficlets. [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1475438
Comments: 11
Kudos: 159





	A Tale of Few Genders.

**Author's Note:**

> it's pride month, bitches.

"I've been thinking."

Sam whips his head up as Castiel settles down next to him in a chair. Sam, sensing a conversation on the verge, moves his chair towards the former angel, and Cas watches him, face twisted in an inscrutable expression.

"What're you thinking about, Cas?"

Sam smiles. Conversations with Castiel always make a warmth bloom inside Sam. They talk for hours at end, about the universe, about the creation, about mankind. Castiel is an active listener, so innocent and nurturing, always asking questions, smiling and trying to fit in. Indeed, it's only been a few weeks since he became entirely human, yet if you ask Sam, Cas is managing pretty well. At least on the outside.

"I was thinking about... gender... and erm... sexuality..."

Sam quirks his bottom lip.

"Interesting. Did you talk to your _boyfriend_ about it?"

Sam lays cheeky emphasis on the word, like a teenage girl teasing her friend. Castiel blushes and tries to bite down the smile flourishing on his face.

"No, I mean- Not yet... I want to be sure of myself before telling him... Our relationship is new, Sam, and I don't want to burden him with my questions..."

"That's not true. If you ask him, he'll always help you..."

There's a faint smile on Sam's lips, and he watches as Castiel nods his head slowly, taking in Sam's words.

"It's just- you're more, well, how do I put it-"

"Amazing? Intelligent? Smart? Yes. I agree."

Sam nods his head like a saint, and it makes Cas chuckle.

"You both are amazing. It's why I love you."

"Awh come on Cas, you flirt."

Sam teases, winking at Cas and bumping their shoulders.

"Just help me, Sam."

Cas sighs, a hopeless grin on his face as Sam laughs.

"Sorry, alright, go on"

Sam grins and sets both arms on the table, turning to face Cas clearly.

"Okay, shoot."

Cas takes a deep breath, and his eyes wander down to the map table, his fingers idly drumming the table-top. Sam doesn't take much time to sense his nervousness, and with a soft, assuring tone, speaks up again.

"Hey, you know I'm not gonna snitch or anythin'. If you want this to be between us, it's between us, and I'll help you with whatever you want. You don't have to be scared."

Castiel finally meets his eyes and it's as if the nervous itch inside him dissipates. He draws in a sharp breath and starts.

"I've been wondering... My vessel... It's biologically male... But me? I... I'm not used to gender or sexuality... And here, it seems like a fairly huge deal..."

Cas looks up to check whether Sam is listening or not, and then resumes.

"I've never been fond of the whole she or he fundament... I've spent almost my entire life as a genderless, multi-dimensional being of light, and suddenly, being in the confines of a human vessel... I find I'm inclined towards a more... non-specific identity for myself... Of course, I used the Google, and it told me that gender and sexuality was a wide spectrum and well, I feel more comfortable when I'm not 'he or him'..."

Sam smiles with a nod.

"That's true. Gender is a wide spectrum and it's not at all compulsory for anyone to fit in on it. There are people who are genderfluid, who feel more masculine or feminine on certain days... There are agender folks who give up on gender altogether... Then there are non-binary people who-"

"Non-binary... That's what I was most interested in."

Castiel scoots closer, as if speaking confidentially, and rests his hands on the table, a distant, far-off look on his face.

"I like the term non-binary. It tells me I don't have to fit into the normative gender binary... I don't have to specifically be a man or a woman... But I guess I'm still figuring it out..."

Castiel drops his head on his hands, and turns away from Sam, momentarily lost in his own thoughts.

"Take your time, Cas. We're always here for you, y'know."

A pat on his back snaps Cas out of his thoughts and he turns to Sam again with a soft smile.

"I know... I really appreciate this, Sam..."

Sam smiles at him, and the thumping of footsteps behind them draws both of their attention. They turn around to see Dean enter the hall, a mug of coffee in his hands, as he wanders inside, eyes flickering from Sam to Cas.

"Heyo."

He greets before walking over to Cas.

Sam and Cas both smile at him, and Dean's grin widens at Cas.

"What're you _besties_ doing? Braiding each other's hair, talkin' bout princesses or what?"

Dean snorts, and stands next to Cas. It isn't even intentional, he just gravitates towards Cas naturally. He sips his coffee with one hand, the other reaching down to stroke Cas's hair.

"Talking about how long you last in bed."

Sam snarks, and Dean sputters out some of the coffee, droplets running down his chin as he gulps incredulously. Cas ends up giggling as well.

"Excuse me? I'm a fucking beast in bed, ain't that true, sweetheart?"

Dean claps Cas's shoulder and Cas looks up at him, eyes filled with the same tender affection that Sam had noticed ten years ago.

"It is, you have good stamina for bed. Especially at forty years of age."

Sam bursts out laughing, and Cas's smile twitches with mischief. Dean just gives them both a blank, you-can-all-fuck-off look, and shakes his head.

Nobody says a word, and the laughter dies down as Dean settles next to him. Slowly, with deep, measured breaths, Cas broaches the topic with Dean.

"Dean, I..."

He doesn't know why his body feels this hesitancy. Is it because he thinks Dean won't like it if he uses the term non-binary? Is it because he thinks Dean would find it hard to always keep that in mind, and maybe he would eventually fall out of love with Cas?

What if Dean doesn't believe it? What if-

"Cas? What is it, sweetheart?"

Cas blinks and snaps out of his panic, moving to the edge of his seat and taking a deep breath. He glances once at Sam, who gives him an assuring smile.

"Dean I... I think I'm non-binary... It's when a person doesn't want to use a specific pronoun for themselves... Like he or she... I prefer they, from now on, I would like it... If my pronouns were _'they'_..."

Dean waits for a moment, and Cas looks at him expectantly. Dean doesn't show any reaction for a moment, and Cas's hands begin to sweat again, and they feel their chest constrict. Dean glances at Sam, who's looking at him with the same expectation.

Dean finally blinks for a few times and speaks.

"It makes you feel good? Like yourself?"

"Yes. It makes me feel like myself... Like what I've been for millennia before."

Cas sighs, and averts their gaze, rubbing their palms together, fiddling with their fingers.

"Well, what's to be nervous about it then?"

"You don't... You don't mind?"

Cas asks, genuine disbelief in their voice. Dean sets his mug down, and Cas glances at it briefly before looking up at Dean again. Dean however, crouches down, and takes both of Cas's hands in his own, kissing them gently.

"Why would I mind? Cas, I love you, not for how you look or what you're pronouns are. You've done some fucked-up shit before, that's never stopped me from loving you, so why would you think, you changing your identity to something that makes you feel good, that makes _you_ feel happy, would make me love you any less?"

A soft expression spreads across Castiel's face, and Dean tugs them towards himself, cupping their cheek and pressing his lips onto Cas's. It's a brief kiss, nonetheless tender and affectionate, assuring and compassionate.

"I love you."

Dean whispers as he pulls away, and Cas nods, joining their foreheads together.

"I love you too."

Dean smiles at the love of his life, the moment so pure and raw that he knows he'll have it in his heart for long, until...

"Eww, can you like, go make eye-babies somewhere else?"

Sam chimes in, making Cas chuckle, roll his eyes playfully, while Dean groans.

"You know what, we're getting away from you Samantha, gonna go show my boyfr- my _boo_ , how long I _can_ last in bed. Come on, Cas."

Dean stands up and tugs Cas along, ignoring a snickering Sam behind them. Cas mumbles a silent _thank you_ to Sam, who simply smiles back at them.

Cas can get used to this. They can get used to all of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to leave a kudos or a comment to make your local fanfic writer a smiley boi! :D


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